Preparation of fur for shrinking and felting



Patented May 31, 1927.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

PREPARATION OF FUR FOR SHRINKING AND FELTING.

No Drawing.

In the preparation of fur hair or fur (as it may be designated for brevity) for felting and for the shrinking which must precede the felting, particularly in the manufacture of hats, the fur, either on the skin or after its removal from the skin, is subjected to the action of chemicals which so affect the character of the fur as to promote the shrinking and the felting, the chemical employed, generally in solution, being sometimes brushed into the fur on the skin, the fur being subsequently removed from the skin, and being sometimes used as a bath in which the fur is immersed after removal from the skin. After treatment with the chemical the fur is dried and is thereafter subjected to felting and shrinking and dyeing processes, to which the treatment with chemicals is preliminary. So far as the fur itself is concerned, as to its felting and shrinking qualities, nitrate of mercury has been found to give satisfactory results but its use is harmful in a high degree to those who appl it and to those who handle the fur in su sequent processes. Other chemicals, such as sodium peroxide, for example, have also been proposed, but are less satisfactory so far as the shrinking qualities of the fur are concerned, and, in the ageing of the fur, which has generally been considered necessary, have a more or less deleterious effect, particularly in bringing about a progressive weakening of the hair core. a In the development of the present invention it has been found that the desired results can be better obtained, in less time than with any of the chemicals heretofore employed, without deleterious effect on the texture of the fur and Without harmful results to operatives, by treatment of the fur,

either on the skin, by brushing, or, by immersion, after its removal from the skin,

Application filed March 8, 1925. Serial No. 13,005.

with a solution of an ortho perborate of an alkali metal, such, for example, as a compound of sodium ortho perborate (Na,BO,), a com ound of potassium ortho perborate (KB or a compound of an ammonium ortho perborate (NH (BO,). Ithas been found that fur treated with a compound of an ortho perborate of an alkali metal has the proper felting property and can be shrunk to a higher degree and more rapidly than can fur which has been treated with nitrate of mercury.

It will be understood that the mention herein of compounds of sodium ortho perborate, potassium ortho perborate and ammomum ortho perhorate, is by way of example and illustration only, and that compounds of ortho perborates of other alkali metals ma be used in their place.

It will e understood by those skilled in the art that by treatin borates with H O, or with sodium peroxide and water, or by electrolyzing them as for the production of persulphates, various perborates, such as Na BO, are obtained, as set forth in Chemistry, Inorganic and Organic, by Bloxam, published y P. Blakistons Son & 00., Philadelphia, 1913, page 290.

I claim as my invention:

1. The improvement in the art of pre aring fur for felting and shrinking, w ich consists in subjecting the fur to the action of a solution of a compound of an ortho perborate of an alkali metal,

2. The improvement in the art of preparing fur for felting and shrinking, which consists in subjecting the fur to the action of a solution of a compound of sodium ortho perborate.

This specification signed this 25th day of February, A. D. 1925.

g JOHN H. MARTIN. 

